A new study reveals how Wolbachia bacteria manipulate parasitic wasps to produce only female offspring. These bacteria have borrowed sex-determining genes from other insects and use them to create proteins that turn male eggs into females, ensuring their own transmission.
MosquitoMate, Inc., a leader in innovative mosquito control solutions, today announced that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted registration for its revolutionary new product named “WB1 Males.” This new mosquito control pesticide represents a significant advancement in mosquito control. The WB1 pesticide specifically targets the mosquito, commonly known as the Yellow Fever mosquito, which is responsible for transmitting various diseases, including Zika, dengue, chickungunya, and Yellow Fever. The innovative new Wolbachia pesticide is unusual in that it consists of rearing and releasing male mosquitoes that are infected with a bacterium named ‘Wolbachia.’ The approach does not use chemicals or genetic modification and relies on a natural mechanism known as ‘Cytoplasmic Incompatibility’ (CI) to reduce the mosquito population. With the EPA’s new registration, MosquitoMate can now begin to roll out the WB1 males nationally, including US and Pacific territories, which have traditionally been impacted by diseases transmitted by the Yellow Fever mosquito. MosquitoMate, Inc. is now focused on the critical next steps: collaborating with state and local regulatory authorities to obtain the necessary permits for WB1 Male use in areas with the greatest need.
